The Internet has spawned many communication mediums that continue to become increasingly popular and wide spread. The ever-growing popularity of mobile devices such as internet-capable smartphones has contributed to this continued popularity. These communication mediums include but are not limited to electronic mail (email), Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP), instant messaging (IM) and text messaging over a network of two or more computers or network connectable, processor-based devices.
VoIP, aka broadband telephony, refers to a protocol of routing voice conversations via the Internet or any other IP-based network. While VoIP is technologically advanced in view of conventional telephony systems, it retains some of pitfalls of the traditional systems. For example, spam or unsolicited communications continue to plague these systems. As well, although technologically advanced, VoIP systems, and particularly VoIP automated answering machines, lack personalization and programmability.
Companies that provide VoIP service are commonly referred to as providers, and protocols which are used to carry voice signals over the IP network are commonly referred to as ‘Voice over IP’ or ‘VoIP’ protocols. Some cost savings of the VoIP protocol can be attributed to a single network to carry voice and data, especially where users have existing underutilized network capacity that can carry VoIP at no additional cost. Popularity of the use of VoIP communication mechanisms is on the rise as VoIP phone calls are often free to both parties, while VoIP to conventional public switched telephone networks (PSTN), may have a cost which is often charged to the VoIP user in these scenarios.
VoIP can facilitate tasks that may be more difficult to achieve using traditional networks. For example, an ability to transmit more than one telephone call via a single broadband-connected telephone line is achievable with today's VoIP protocol. One benefit of this feature is that it easily enables addition of an extra telephone line to a home or office. Moreover, incoming phone calls can be automatically routed to a VoIP phone, regardless of the location of the network connection. Thus, a user can employ a VoIP phone to make and receive calls anywhere the Internet is available.
Consistent with traditional PSTN systems, VoIP features most often include features such as 3-way calling, call forwarding, auto-redial, caller ID as well as voice-mail. However, unlike traditional PSTN systems, these features are most often included free of charge with the base connection. Additionally, VoIP phones can integrate with other services available over the Internet, such as video conferencing, message and data file exchange in parallel with the conversation, audio conferencing, PIM (personal information manager) data management, etc.
Although VoIP systems are technologically advanced as related to conventional telephony systems, to date, features have been generally limited to the features of traditional systems. For example, VoIP voice-mail, in its simplest form mimics the functions of a traditional answering machine. More particularly, it effectively uses a computerized system to generate a user (or system) programmed greeting in response to a missed or unanswered call. While greetings may be customized to convey information desired by a user, today's VoIP systems do not leverage the power of the computer in offering voice-mail features.